Harrison's Reports (1930)

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879. Harrison’S Reports Yearly Subscription Rates: ^tnited States $16.00 U. S. Insular Possessions. . 16.00 Janada, Alaska 16.00 _iexico, Spain, Cuba 16.00 Great Britain, New Zealand 16.00 Other Foreign Countries.. 17.50 35c a Copy 1440 BROADWAY New York, N. Y. A Motion Picture Reviewing Service by a Former Exhibitor Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of Exhibitors Its Editorial Policy: No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. Published Weekly by P. S. HARRISON Editor and Publisher Established July 1, 1919 Tel. : Pennsylvania 7649 Cable Address : Harreports (Bentley Code) A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XII SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 1930 No. 35 MINIATURE GOLF COURSES I have been asked by exhibitors to give them the addresses of manufacturers of Miniature Golf Courses. Though there are several small concerns that fit such courses, the one that I have so far discovered which an exhibitor can rely on is the company known as Minature Golf Courses of America, Inc. the address of which is 41 East 42nd Street, New York City. The courses they manufacture are known as “Tom Thumb.” This company asserts that the putting surface of a Tom Thumb Golf Course is constructed under U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,559,520, and it is the sole license in the United States (except Indiana.) It states that all those who buy a Golf Course from it, either indoor or outdoor, obtain at the same time a permanent license to conduct their business under ; also that it will prosecute any one who should be found infringing on their patent. According to its statements, its patent covers putting greens or similar playing surfaces constructed of cotton seed hulls or other “commituted floculent vegetable material, with or without an admixture of a binding nature, either in the natural state or dyed to similate grass, etc.” The only objection some exhibitors seem to have to a golf course fitted by this company is the price, for an 18 hole Tom Thumb Golf Course costs $2,000, f. o. b. Rochester, Pennsylvania. To this, $1,500 must be added for cost of freight, installation, electrical illumination for the operation of the course at night, fence, cash booth, and other things : and if the purchaser desires the company to supervise the installation, he must add $100 more. A minimum of 60x120 feet is required for an 18 hole course. According to the company’s statements, approximately ten days are required for the course to be ready for operation from the day the order is received. I am not in a position to know if all the claims made by this company are valid. But I am looking into this matter further with a view to finding out if there are other manufacturers of artificial grass and of the other accessories used in the construction of such courses. I shall let you know through these columns if I find anything worthwhile reporting. NOTE: Just before going to press I received information to the effect that DAVEGA, Inc., of 831 Broadway, sells the necessary equipment for miniature golf courses. It consists of the following : 1. Complete set of forms for an 18-hole Peter Pan Course and for Green Heads, cut, painted and marked, ready for quick assembly. 2. Complete set of 18 cups. 3. Complete set of 18 marking flags for Green. 4. 72 Golf Oubs. 1. 100 Golf Balls. 6. 2.000 Score Cards. 7. Blue Print plans, specifications, photographs, and complete detailed instructions for building, assembling and installing this 18-hole Peter Pan Golf Course. 8. Sufficient Peter Pan Golf Green material for Greens, including oils, etc., in simple instructions for mixing. 9. One Peter Pan Golf Sign. The cost of all these accessories is $1,500, with free delivery within one hundred and fifty miles of New York City, and with a small additional charge for points beyond this radius. Replacements of damaged parts are made, if notified immediately upon the receipt of the material. Tn writing, address your letter to the attention of Mr. Isaacs, who has supplied me this information. I asked Mr. Isaacs if there are anv dangers of lawsuits by the MINIATURE GOLF COURSES OF AMERICA, Inc., and was told by him that it is planning to start law suits, but not against the owners of golf courses ; it is going to sue the manufacturers of the materials. He states that it cannot bring suits against the golf course owners. The exhibitor, however, must ask his lawyer about it, for HARRISON’S REPORTS is unwilling to take any responsibility in the matter. Incidentally, Mr. W. H. Robson, of Albion, N. Y., informs me that he built one himself in eight days, at a cost of $1,500. “I used lime rock and I am told that it is the swellest miniature golf course in town. I took in $105 yesterday (Sunday), as against $140 at the theatre.” He purchased the green material at Buffalo, at $32.50 a drum, using four drums in all. Comparing the cost of this exhibitor home-made course, however, one finds that the DAVEGA Golf Course is better, in that the price is no higher and instructions how to set it up go with it. THE WAY OF A TURNCOAT People who change their religion are commonly called turncoats. There is no discredit attached to a person who changes his religion because of his belief that the new religion will offer his soul solace ; but when he does so for profit, it is a most despicable act. People who change their religion for profit become, as a rule, cruel and oppressive; there is no cruelty they will shirk from to convince their new friends that they are sincere in their new belief. History is full of atrocious crimes committed by such persons. J. Rubens, of Publix in the Chicago territory, used to be an independent exhibitor once. He was active in organization affairs, and most active in denouncing the big companies. I remember the day when First National and Famous Players-Lasky were anathema to him; they were the most cruel, most heartless, most oppressive producerdistributors the world has ever known, and he felt that the quicker they were exterminated the better it would be for humanity. At the M.P.T.O.A. Convention, held in Minneapolis in July, 1921, he was one of those that had put Adolph Zukor on the pillory; he showed as much merciless feeling towards him as did some of the others present. But now things are different; he is a partner of the big Publix-Paramount Corporation, and he cannot find oppressive enough methods to apply on the independent exhibitors. Recently, there was a “zoning” meeting in Chicago. Right or wrong, there was an agreement reached between those that represented the independent exhibitors and the distributors as to the length of “protection,” in time and distance. But Mr. Rubens stepped in and demanded even more protection than he was getting of old. It seems as if it is his desire to see that no exhibitors have a chance to make a living except those that are partners of Publix. I have heard it said that when some independent exhibitors join big corporations they become greater oppressors than the oppressor corporations themselves. It seems as if Rubens is an example of it. ORDER YOUR MISSING COPIES Look over your files of Harrison’s Reports and find what copies you are short of so that you may order duplicate copies. These are furnished free to subscribers. I have had letters from exhibitors ordering missing copies in a rush ; they had not taken the trouble of looking into their files except when they needed some information. It was then that they discovered that a copy or two were missing. Why put yourself in the position of such exhibitors when you can avoid it? Besides, neglect now may mean a considerable loss of money later.